Daily Life With A Monster Child
by The Lone Lobster
Summary: Sometimes in life, something will happen that will not only change one person's life but several, this is the tale of a man by the name of Arthur West and his adopted extra species daughter Sophia, both ready and eager for the new life that awaits them.
1. Chapter 1: A New beginning

Cresttide city, one of the few cities in the world that has come to not only welcome monsters with open arms but also accommodates them as best as is possible. From jobs to residency and even allowing their own businesses to take root it would almost seem like they've been there all their lives and not just a few years since the inter species bill had been signed. However, even with so much progress being made there are still people who seek to not treat them as equals but instead a means for financial gain, such is the case for an unfortunate little girl.

"COME BACK HERE!" A man shouted as he ran through the city streets in the midst of the night.

"YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER!" Another man who ran beside him shouted shortly after.

In total the number of men who were running down the darkened roads were three, each of them dressed in somewhat casual attire. As for the little girl, who they were chasing after and shouting at, she was dressed in a hoodie to conceal her face as well as long pants to hide her legs. And even though when this whole chase began she had managed to gain a good deal of distance from her pursuers she was still a child, so after only a few minutes of chase they were swiftly gaining on her. Not only that, but she was also growing tired from both the running as well as what she had been put through before when she was in their company, causing her to progressively slowdown.

"AHA! GOT YOU!" One of the men cheered as he had managed to get close enough to grab onto her hood.

Feeling it's collar suddenly press against her neck as it was pulled she was then sent to the ground with far more force and power than what was needed. Wincing in pain as her head hit the pavement her mind would quickly be taken away from the intense throbbing as the sight of the one who had grabbed her came into view.

"Thought you could run from us huh?" He asked with the most smug grin he could possibly have plastered to his face "Well guess what? now you're gonna learn what happens!" He told her as he raised his free hand.

Feeling her eyes widen from fear she could do nothing but stare towards his hand as it was about to strike her. But suddenly as it began to descend towards her, a loud bang filled the air followed by his hand exploding into countless bits of blood, bone, and muscle.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He screamed just before his head soon met the same fate causing him to fall to the ground lifeless.

"What the fu-" One of the others who she couldn't see began to say only to be silenced by two more bangs.

Hearing the thud of their bodies also hitting the pavement like the first, the girl unsure as to what was going on simply laid there looking towards the sky as she wasn't sure what she should do. But before any ideas or thoughts could enter her mind the pain that she had ignored regained her attention as it throbbed violently and horribly. Suddenly feeling weaker and more tired than she had before, just as her eyes began to close and everything faded to black she could hear the sound of footsteps approaching her followed by the short sight of a new figure standing above her.

* * *

The pitch black night of both the city and sky always seemed like a distant bad memory, for the moment day's light replaced it's shadowed counterpart life returned with it. Shops began to open, people got ready for work or early morning jogs, and of course young children hurried to ready for whatever the day had in store for them. But even with night moving on to another part of the world and all that lurked within it's veil gone with it for the moment, there were still many things left over from it's time here, such as the gruesome scene that took place in the middle of a crossroads. Three dead bodies lay in a pool of blood, and even though this sight was in the middle of a domestic part of the city the police, who ensured very few of the public who had awoke so early in the morning caught even a glimpse of it, seemed not disturbed by it in the slightest.

Now one might assume it's because of their job, they're used to seeing such acts of unbridled brutality and lack of compassion, but no that is not the reason they remained as calm as they were, for if one should choose to believe it this was not the first time such an act has happened in such a seemingly normal part of the city. Many a time over the span of months have there been murders and deaths all done in a similar manor to this, and while most would argue with how grim it might be described, the truth is for each present wound on the victims there was but one bullet to match. Meaning whoever committed this act was not only precise with their shots but also efficient and left no other evidence to aid in their capture. Yet unlike all the other times in which something like this has occurred this inciddent has an extra layer to it, the likes of which were so severe that a third party had been informed and are currently on route to the location.

"Hmm..." A black haired woman six foot six in height dressed head to toe in attire one would expect from a secret agent hummed as she looked at the file in her hand "So, we're ruling this out as a deal gone bad then?" She asked as she looked to her fellow passenger who sat next to her in the driver's seat.

"Most definitely." A man similar in height and attire with short blonde hair replied "These three were amateurs at best, known mainly for harassing and causing issues with any extra species individual that should cross their path." He explained.

"Still, it's a pretty big leap from being assholes to being illegal smugglers and traders, which begs the question as to what got these guys killed." She noted as she closed the file.

"We've already gone through all local cameras both residential and traffic, so far all we've been able to confirm is that they were chasing what appears to be a child of some kind through the roads up until the intersection, where they were then killed." He went on.

"What about whoever shot them? surely we have something on them right?" She asked.

"No actually." He replied with a shake of his head "Believe it or not, right before the gunshots went off the traffic cam which was getting all of it clear as day suddenly turned off, even the audio was out." He revealed.

"How convenient." She said as she propped her arm against the door as to rest her head in her hand.

"It get's better." He assured her "Not only did the camera go completely out right when this all went down, but the police already know who's responsible." He told her causing her eyes to widen.

"Wait what?" She asked as she now focused solely on him "Then why haven't they told us?!" She added.

"Because, and I'm quoting word for word here, we have to hear this in person from the first responder who's still at the scene." He answered as he turned a corner "Speaking of which." He added as he slowly pulled to a stop.

Over the course of their conversation they had arrived to the scene itself where despite the location the murders took place, the officers on scene had done a surprisingly impeccable job of keeping the public away.

"Well let's get some answers then." She said as she undid her seat belt and left the car.

Doing as she did once both were out of the car they walked over to the officer on duty, making sure to flash their badges as they did.

"Hello, I'm agent Hughes and this is my rookie in training Agent Ashton, we're here to speak with the unit first on the scene." She greeted as they stopped in front of the other.

Taking a moment to look over their badges and ensure they were authentic the officer simply nodded his head before pointing behind him.

"She's over there." He told them earning a nod from her in response.

"Thank you." She said before she lifted the crime scene tape and proceeded to enter the scene with Ashton in tow.

Walking in the direction he gave them they soon found an officer who easily stuck out from the rest but in truth seemed to be the one in charge, or at the least was the most on top of things.

"Keep searching the area, I want to be certain there are no shell casings, no pieces of clothing, no nothing around here by the time we're done." A near eight foot tall Minotaur woman with short scruffy brown hair and dark sapphire eyes dressed in an officer's uniform directed receiving a resounding "Yes Mam!" from the others before they got to work.

"Excuse us." Agent Hughes spoke gaining her attention.

"Hm? oh, you two must be from the government right?" The other asked as she turned to face them.

"That obvious huh?" Agent Ashton asked causing her to smirk.

"I got my own coordinator I know what they look like." She answered.

"Well we're not coordinators exactly, more so proactive enforcers." Agent Hughes clarified "But that's besides the point, would you care to inform us the reason why you're keeping the identity of the one who committed this triple homicide a secret until we got here?" She asked.

Upon hearing that question her some what at ease and yet serious expression changed into one of slight anger and annoyance, which did not go unnoticed by them.

"Really? you are calling this a homicide?" She asked with a raised brow as she crossed her arms.

"What would you call it, officer Glenda?" Agent Hughes countered while looking towards her badge, her expression remaining the same all the while.

"A public service." Glenda replied as she looked to the spot where the bodies which had since been removed once laid "Those three were constantly causing issues for extra species, and even if I were to ignore that there's still the reason as to why they ended up dead to begin with." She argued.

"Which brings us back to my original question." Agent Hughes pointed out causing the other to look back at her.

Staring at one another for a few moments as Glenda thought on what the right way to go about this would be, she soon let out a sigh before continuing the conversation.

"It was almost a year ago when I first came to this city, I didn't have a host family but due to my desire to pursue a career in law enforcement they made an exception for me so long as I made sure to always report to my training officer at the time, and for a long while things were great everyone not just at the academy but also people I'd talk to on the street or in a restaurant were very friendly and accepting of me, but at the same time there was this gang that had been formed around the time of the bill's passing, a sort of anti extra species group that was nothing but some thugs against the idea of people like me coming to live here, so one night as I'm going back my dorm after having dinner at this local diner not too far away I get jumped by these guys, and before I can fight back they hit me in the head with a chain which sends me to the ground, but before they could even so much as raise a foot to start stomping me or even raise a fist to hit me I suddenly hear a series of gunshots go off followed by all of them dropping dead around me." She explained.

"So the person who saved you that night is the one responsible for this then?" Agent Hughes asked receiving a nod in response.

"Yes, but it's much more than that." She told them, before taking a moment to then sigh "...His name...is Arthur West, he's a bounty hunter who takes jobs from the precincts here in the city, not only that but he also helps out people when they need it and he never starts any kind of trouble unless someone else started it first." She explained hoping to put him in a good light.

Taking a few moments to think on this information Agent Hughes still not seeming to be affected by any of it soon asked one final question.

"What else do you know about him?"

* * *

Sunlight poured into the space of a bedroom as the sun rose into the sky, and as it did it brought forth a comforting warmth and serenity to usher in the new day. And with this warmth and radiance washing over every house and pouring into every window, inside one in particular there was a child soundly asleep. But beyond the difference to other children in the city who were wide awake and readying for the day ahead this child was also different for she was not human. Though the clothes she wore the night before still adorned her form her hood had been pulled back revealing a humanoid slime light blue in coloration.

Now normally slimes in lands inhabited by extra species were often just mindless blobs lacking any sentience and only sought to eat and flop about, but on rare occasions there would be species of slime which were more evolved. However, due to their rarity they were constantly sought out by traffickers and other unsavory folk, being considered not another living person but instead a perfect slave. Which is why late into the night this young child had been running from her pursuers as they had brought her here from wherever her place of "birth" might be, in hopes of making a sizable profit. But thankfully this was avoided, and within a few moments she shall awake both due to the sun's rays hitting her eyes as well as the smell of something rather enticing coming from the floor below.

"...mmm..." She hummed as she started to leave her unconscious state, stirring slightly as she did "...Huh?..." She sounded as she opened her eyes revealing that they were dark purple in color.

Having a ceiling she did not recognize be the first thing she saw she immediately did her best to get into an upright position to look around but found she was still weak from what happened last night. But to her surprise when her head began to hurt and she reached up to feel it she found it had been wrapped in gauze, though admittedly during her sleep it had become soaked due to her body as well it having somewhat sunk into her. Yet once more before she could think or do anything something kept her from doing so, but instead of the pain of her injury being the cause this time it was the sound of someone walking up a set of stairs near her room. Feeling worry and fear quickly set in she did her best to will herself out of the bed and hide, though because of her weakened state all she was able to do was finish getting herself into an upright position.

Feeling what little strength she possessed fleeing her form, all that was left for her to do was to simply sit there and wait for the door to open and reveal who was approaching. Slowly the footsteps finished climbing the stairs and once they did they took only a few more before stopping right outside the door.

"Hey." A voice deep and rough in both tone and sound whilst also carrying an accent of some kind spoke from the other side, telling her it was a man "You awake yet?" He asked.

Choosing to remain silent in hopes he would go away after nearly a minute of silence passed the doorknob slowly began to turn spiking the fear and anxiety already present in her to high levels. But once the knob had reached it's end and the door was slowly pushed open what she saw standing on the other side made every bad feeling and sickly emotion just disappear. For the man she had been picturing in her mind was nothing like the one that stood at the door, for the only other men she'd ever known were her captors, which she had based the image on. The man towered above their height and even with a long coat concealing most of his body she could tell he was also much stronger than them too, and speaking of his attire he looked far different from not just the other men but all other humans or extra species she'd ever seen as well.

From his brown boots, to his somewhat worn jeans, up to what she could make out as a button up flannel shirt, and of course his coat which matched his boots in color he was a very intriguing person to look at. But what truly set him apart from the other men the one absolute detail that made him different was his face. Starting with his eyes which were the same shade of blue as her's, they didn't look at her with a gaze of malice or intimidation but compassion and concern, which was admittedly the part of him that did away with all of her previous worries. But then there was also his expression which wasn't one of sinister intent nor of fake comfort, but instead it was a fairly straight face that did carry a sense of wisdom and authority, which oddly enough made her trust him a slight bit.

Finally there was his long brown hair which seemed to stop just a bit past the neck, unlike the other men's hair which was somewhat greasy and seemed like it hadn't been washed for some time, his was neatly combed and clean telling her he cared about his appearance and how he was seen.

"Sorry for comin' in." He apologized as he stepped inside "I didn't know if you were still sleepin' or you just can't talk." He explained.

Simply staring at him wondering what he was going to do, even as he moved closer to the bed and sat on it's end she still felt no fear or worry as she had before she saw him.

"Listen, I know this must be an awful way to wake up, don't know where you are don't know who I am and so on." He began as he pointed to the door "But I've got breakfast made and ready downstairs, so after we have some should you be in the mood to eat, if you want to leave I will take you to the police and they'll take care of you from there, sound good?" He asked.

Though still wary of him and how much truth there was to his words admittedly she was very much so hungry, borderline starving, so without much hesitation she slowly nodded her head causing him to smile.

"Good." He said as he got back to his feet "So, can you walk at all or do you need some help?" He asked.

Looking down at herself for a moment as if asking herself the same question, she inevitably looked back to him and responded with a shake of her head. Much to her surprise, instead of replying with words the moment he had his answer he walked over to her side and proceeded to lift her out of bed as to carry her in his arms. Taking a few seconds to make sure she was secure and wouldn't slip and fall he went on to leave the bedroom and head down the stairs with her in tow. Yet the moment he began to walk with her she immediately, almost as if it were something she was supposed to do, wrapped her arms around his neck which he seemed to have no issue with.

What was even more surprising though was as he descended down the stairs she began to rest her head against him, whether or not it was due to her still being tired or perhaps she was starting to trust him more neither he nor her were certain. However, the moment they reached the bottom of the stairs she saw that the room where the aroma had been coming from was right next to them, and upon going inside there was on a weird looking table that was in the middle of the room two plates, each having what looked like delicious food resting on top of them.

"Sorry if you don't like it." He apologized yet again as he walked over "I don't really know what slimes like, so I just made a standard breakfast." He explained as he set her down onto a stool.

Now right in front of the meal itself, she found it hard to believe that this was considered a "standard" meal as all the meals she had ever seen didn't come anywhere close to this one. In total the contents of the plate included two strips of bacon, two whole biscuits, a sizable portion of eggs which were scrambled, and some weird gray substance she didn't recognize though it did smell amazing like the rest of what was there.

"In case you're wondering." He spoke to gain her attention before he pointed towards the plate "This here is bacon which is meat, then you have the biscuits which are just bread, next is some eggs cooked in no special way, and finally that's gravy which is pretty good on it's own but it's better if you dip the other stuff into it." He explained before walking to the other side of the table and sitting down on another stool.

Looking at the food for a few seconds longer before her curiosity of everything else got the better of her, she began to look at both the strange table they sat at as well as the rest of the room, which didn't go unnoticed by him.

"This is called an aisle." He told her as he pointed to the table "It's basically like those counters over there, but it's also used for preparing food and eating." He explained whilst pointing to the counters "And as for the room itself it's called a kitchen." He added as he gestured to the room around them.

Now having the answers to her unspoken questions she looked back to the food in front of her, as well as the strange metal object that rested on the plate.

"That's a fork." He told her seeing her apparent confusion "You use it to eat, like this." He instructed as he picked up his fork and used it to skewer some eggs "And like I said before, you can dip the other things into the gravy like this." He added proceeding to do just that with the eggs before going on to eat them.

Seeing her expression change to one of astonishment, which admittedly was both humorous and adorable, she went on to do exactly as he did with her own fork. What happened next in truth caught him by surprise, for due to the nature of her form he could see the gravy covered eggs go into her mouth and even down what would be considered her throat, though instead of just lingering there it actually dissipated near instantly, sort of like an aspirin tablet in a glass of water. But instead of pointing that out and potentially making her feel awkward he simply went on to eat the rest of his meal with her continuing to do everything he did as he did it. After about five or so minutes both of them were finished with their plates, with the only sign that food had once been present being the slight streaks of gravy which remained.

"So." He spoke as a sigh of content left him "I'm guessing since you kept eating that you enjoyed it right?" He asked receiving a nod in response, which in turn caused him to once again smile "That's good, now just give me a minute or so to clean this up and I'll help you down from there." He told her as he got up from his stool.

Taking both plates into his hands he then walked over to the sink nearby and after turning it on began to wash them. All the while he did this she kept her gaze fixated on him where besides the obvious curiosity she had she also possessed a new fondness for him, almost as if he were actually her parent. And staying true to his word it only took him a moment or so to clean what was left of their meal from the plates before he dried them off with a towel and walked back over to her, where he then lifted her back into his arms.

"Do you want to go back to bed now?" He asked her as she wrapped her arms around his neck "Or do you want to go watch some TV?" He asked to which she cocked her head slightly "Oh, you don't know what that is do you?" He asked causing her to shake her head this time "Well do you want to find out or go back to bed?" He asked once more.

Even though she was still somewhat weak even after the meal, her curiosity was too great which led to her doing something that caught him completely off guard.

"T-TV." She answered vocally this time, her voice light in pitch which was of course fitting for a young girl like her.

"Alright then." He replied even though he was still a bit surprised to hear her speak.

Walking out of the kitchen and into the room across from it she saw a space with a good deal of furniture which consisted of a couch, a few chairs, and a small table in the midst of it all. But the strangest detail about the room was across from the couch this odd black rectangle sat on top of what looked like another table, though it was probably something else.

"That's the TV." He told her as he walked over to the couch "As for what it does, well you'll find out soon enough." He told her as he set her down.

Proceeding to sit beside her he reached over to the table in front of them and picked up some kind of object that had a lot of different buttons on it, before going on to press one of them which caused the TV's once black appearance to change. Feeling her eyes widen from surprise and intrigue, all she could do was stare as the sight of a human woman came into view.

"How?" She asked as she pointed to it which caused him to chuckle.

"That's kinda hard to explain in a short and simple fashion." He told her as he leaned back into the couch "But the best way I can describe it is that television or TV allows people to talk and appear to nearly everyone in the world at the same time, it also let's us show things like cartoons, movies, TV shows, and so on." He explained.

"Cartoons?" She asked now looking to him.

Deciding to not respond with words, this time he pressed another button on the device a few times, which in turn caused what was on the TV to change rapidly before he stopped on something that was colorful and different.

"Ooo" She sounded as she now refocused on the TV her overall cuteness being too much for him.

"Do you try to be this adorable or is it just like a gift?" He asked her even though he knew more than likely his words fell upon deaf ears given how focused she was on the TV.

Seeing that she was clearly enthralled by what was she was seeing he put the remote down on his other side before putting an arm around her. This though was enough to get her attention but instead of freaking out or being scared like she was when one of the other men from before did it instead she felt safe and even happy, which caused her to rest against his side laying her head on his chest as she did. For the next hour or so this is how they stayed with the only change being what cartoon was playing, and while most people might get tired of watching shows meant for little kids he didn't, for he knew that she was enjoying it and to him that was all he needed to enjoy it as well. Unfortunately this peaceful and serene experience would come to an end, as after the fourth cartoon ended a knock came from the front door gaining both of their attentions.

"Who could that be?" He asked for the both of them as he got up from his seat, causing her to sit upright in hers as he did.

Walking out of the living room and to the door which was but a foot or so away he proceeded to open it, to which he found a sight that actually didn't surprise him.

"Hello, Arthur West." A female woman dressed in a suit greeted as she held up a badge "My name is Agent Hughes and I've come to talk to you about the events of last night." She explained.

"Hmph, figured someone would show." He admitted as he put his hands into his coat's pockets "Tell me somethin, why did it take you so long to get here?" He asked.

"Were you expecting someone to show up sooner?" She asked as she put her badge away.

"Well I figured once the police found out they were traffickers someone from the government would arrive." He answered as he looked behind her "Why's your partner waiting in the car?" He asked.

"He's not my partner, he's my rookie in training." She answered "And as for your previous question, the reason why it took us so long is because we had to come here personally to not only find you but to also learn from the responding officer who you were." She explained.

"Ah, you mean Glenda?" He asked.

"You know her?" She asked in return.

"No offense to you miss, but given that your are standing here in front of me right now, do you honestly expect me to believe you don't know everything about me such as how I would know her name?" He asked causing her to smirk.

"Fair enough, though that does bring up an interesting point mister West, after we learned of who you were we asked her what else she knew about you and told us to go to her superiors, from then on it was like a game of hot potato as we were passed further and further up the chain of command until we ended up at the commissioner's office, where the file they gave us on you had near to nothing in it." She explained.

"So are you here to learn more about me then?" He asked seeming to enjoy this conversation.

"No I'm not, though it is strange how one man who seems to have endless respect and loyalty from the police of this city, my main concern is the child you saved from those men." She answered.

Upon hearing that response his somewhat laid back attitude and apparent amusement of this exchange quickly shifted to a far more serious tone, which actually caught her off guard.

"Listen." He began as he looked at her with a gaze one would expect from a predator sizing up it's prey "I know you mean no harm to her, but I need to hear from you personally that she's not gonna end up in some system nor will she be put back in a spot where this can all happen again, you give me that and I'll tell you what you want to know." He told her.

Feeling herself be at a loss for words, which never happened, she was surprised at how quickly he changed from a man who seemed to not care for what was happening to what someone would expect from a protective parent.

"I can assure you mister West that none of that will happen." She replied as she regained her composure "Once she is in our care we will do our best to ensure she is returned to her parents." She explained.

"And what if she doesn't have any?" He asked.

"Then she will remain in our care until suitable parents, whether they be human or extra species are found." She answered.

Taking a moment to look her over as to see if there was any sort of tell she was lying, even a small bit, upon finding none he let out a sigh before saying.

"Alright, she's in the living room, just be gentle with her since she's still pretty shaken-"

"NO!" A voice from inside shouted out before the sound of hasted footsteps were heard.

Before either of them could react or look to who the voice belonged to the girl had bolted from the couch and over to them despite her weakened state, where she immediately wrapped her arms around his leg.

"I DON'T WANT TO GO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! I WON'T LEAVE DADDY!" She cried as she tightened her grip on his leg.

Completely stunned and silent for what was transpiring, while Agent Hughes simply stood there with a shocked expression on her face, Arthur on the other hand felt possibly the biggest smile he'd ever had make it's way onto his face.

"Hey." He said causing her to look up at him "It's gonna be okay, I promise." He told her as he patted her head.

However as he looked back to Agent Hughes to say something else he found that she too also had a smile on her face.

"Huh." She sounded as she took off her sunglasses revealing her eyes were dark purple in color "Well I guess that settles that then." She said causing his eyes to widen.

"Wait what?" He asked unsure as to what she meant by that.

"The law prohibits any human from causing harm to an extra species individual, regardless of sex, age, or race, and seeing as how she doesn't look like she wants to leave I suppose she's just going to have to stay with you." She explained.

Feeling as though this whole thing might be some sort of ploy or ruse Arthur first took the girl into his arms to further calm her down before responding.

"You're serious? this isn't some kind of trick to get me to hand her over right?" He asked causing her to shake her head.

"No I'm being completely serious." She assured him "Though since we've moved onto this topic of discussion, could we maybe carry it on without her present?" She asked.

Looking to the girl and seeing she was still upset he turned around and put her back on her feet.

"Go back inside and watch TV, I'll be there in a minute." He told her as he stood back up.

But before he could turn around and head out the door she grabbed onto his hand causing him to look back at her.

"Promise?" She asked her expression filled with doubt and worry.

Upon seeing her face he felt the same smile as before appear once again which seemed to comfort her a slight bit.

"I promise." He replied as he took his hand back.

Looking up at him for a few more seconds as he had done with Agent Hughes, once she was certain he was telling the truth she did as she was told and went back to the living room. With that taken care of he turned back to face Agent Hughes before stepping outside to continue their conversation, closing the door behind him as he did.

"So what is it you needed to talk to me about without her?" He asked getting right to the point.

"As I said before, the file we were given about you had little to nothing, all that was even there was what they had written themselves, no copies of official documents, no social security number, no anything." She explained "And yet even with you seeming to have appeared out of nowhere no one that we spoke to today seemed to show any real interest in helping us learn more about you, and so I'm left to believe that even though there should be countless people and organizations looking into you, it seems like anyone who's aware of your existence has been sworn to a sort of secrecy." She went on "So all that remains is, who are you Arthur West?" She asked.

However, instead of taking a few moments to think of a proper response he seemed to be at the ready with one for no doubt this was something he had been asked before.

"I'm a simple man Agent Hughes." He began as he looked her straight in the eyes "My everyday routine is wake up, have breakfast, then go about my day the best I can before I go to bed and start it all over the next day." He explained "And while yes I am as you know a bounty hunter which alone would make you and any other person think my life is actually exciting and intense like some sort of action movie, to me it's all just part of the routine." He went on "I get a bounty, hunt them down, and with no hesitation or second thoughts point one of my guns at them and put a bullet through their head." He continued before leaning in closer to her "And the whole time I do it, I don't smile nor laugh not even enjoy it in the slightest, but instead I have as plain a look on my face as one would find on a statue, so you tell me Agent Hughes, what kind of person do you think I am to be able to take a life, regardless of how worthless it is and still have such a lack of emotion and life on my face as theirs soon will?" He asked near whispering the last part into her ear.

Watching him resume an upright position, Agent Hughes for the first time during this whole encounter with him felt something that was rare for her to feel given her profession. Instead of seeing a man as she did when she first arrived, after hearing such a description of himself be given she felt fear grip her soul yet at the same time a feeling of respect. For also due to her line of work, she had grown accustomed to seeing the worst of people, from those who were like the men he killed that trafficked extra species like property, to ones that would even go so far as to force them to do god awful things, there seemed to be no limit to their cruelty. Yet here right in front of her was a man who up until this point she believed was some sort of off the grid recluse who managed to somehow evade all means of detection from any agency or person.

But now as she looked at him she saw a man where despite what ever has happened to him to make him as he is now he was not like those vile people she deals with, but was instead at best a seemingly normal person.

"I...don't know mister West." She admitted as she looked down at her glasses which remained in her hand "I honestly have no idea what to call a person like that." She added.

"Exactly." He replied as he looked to the sky "I have a story Agent Hughes, just as every person in this world does, but unlike most people I do not let my story dictate what becomes of me, so I do my best to just make it through each day and keep that story to myself." He explained.

"I see..." She said as a small smile came to her face "Well...as far as you being a suitable guardian for the girl goes, I can honestly say there isn't a safer person for her to be with than you." She complimented causing him to chuckle.

"Thank you." He replied as he looked back to her "So what happens now?" He asked as she put her glasses back on.

"I am going to get back in my car, go back to work, and see that you are recognized by official channels as her guardian." She answered as she turned around "And don't worry about any paperwork, I'll take care of that personally." She assured as she walked away.

Watching her walk down the pathway leading from his home to the road, just as she went around the car to the passenger side door she stopped and looked at him.

"Oh but one thing that I will need from you for the paperwork is a name for her." She said as she opened the door "Don't worry about reaching me, I'll stop by later to finish it up." She added before getting in.

 _"Oh right, she needs a name."_ Arthur thought to himself as the car started up and drove away.

"You sure that was the right move? I thought we were supposed to get the child back no matter what?" Agent Ashton asked as he looked to his superior.

"Believe me Ashton, if we had tried to take that girl by force we would have had to deal with him, and if you heard what I did from him you would've come to the same decision." She replied.

Watching them drive away until they were out of sight Arthur went back inside where to no surprise he found the girl waiting for him just a foot or so from the door.

"Thought I said to watch TV?" He asked with a raised brow.

But instead of replying with words she threw her arms around his legs seeming to be on the verge of crying.

"Hey now." He said as he knelt down to be face to face with her "I didn't mean to come off like I was scolding you, I was joking." He explained.

"N-No not that." She said with a sniffle "Y-You didn't get rid of me." She clarified.

"Of course I wouldn't, if you didn't want to go with them then you weren't, simple as that." He told her.

In response to hearing that she once more threw arms around him, though this time around his chest as to hug him.

"Th-Thank you!" She managed to choke out before breaking down into a sob out of sheer joy.

Unable to keep himself from smiling at such a reaction he returned the embrace with his own hug, gently petting the back of her head in hopes it would calm her down. For the next few minutes that's where they stayed which he of course didn't mind, until finally she had gotten through all the tears she had to shed leaving her to simply sniffle.

"Better now?" He asked as he ended their embrace looking to her as well.

"Mhm..." She sounded as she rubbed her eyes.

"Good, now before we go back into the living room there's still one thing that we need to do." He said.

"What?" She asked.

"We need to give you a proper name, so I'll have something to call you." He answered.

Taking a moment to think as to what she might want to be called, she thought about any names she had heard that stuck out to her, and much to her surprise one did, it having come from one of the cartoons they had watched earlier.

"S-Sophia." She replied.

"You sure?" He asked her just to be certain it's what she wanted.

"Mhm! Sophia!" She said once more though with more enthusiasm.

"Then it's settled, you're now Sophia West, my daughter." He told her before pulling her into another hug.

And so with a bright new future on the horizon Sophia and Arthur headed back into the living room to watch some more TV, both happy and excited for whatever was to come.


	2. Chapter 1: Epilogue

Cresttide City Docks, a place where business both local and international is conducted, from household goods to things of a more sensitive nature all that are brought by ship come here. But in reference to the more sensitive goods most of which are harmless things like intimate apparel or fragile antiquities, that term sensitive also refers to items which are considered by many agencies and people illegal if traded outside of official channels. Such is the case for an unfortunate man, who now finds himself running through the warehouse he and his associates had taken ownership of, for it is time for him and them as well to face the proper consequences.

"Shit shit shit shit!" He cursed beneath his breath as he ran, sweat drenching his clothes all the while.

Through the countless shelves and other obstacles that lay in between him and the exit he darted and turned hoping with all his might he could escape. But just as he was drawing near the doors freedom in sight, a sudden sharp pain coursed through his side followed by the sound of gun being fired.

"GAH!" He shouted in agony as he fell to the floor.

Looking down at his side he found he had been shot clean through both his lung and the abdomen resulting in swift massive blood loss. But even with his life seeming to be at it's end and no chance of surviving in sight, he began to crawl with what strength he had left towards the doors with one hand as the other was pressed against the wound. Sadly though before he could crawl even a few inches a foot suddenly pressed itself on his back where the bullet had entered, causing him to stop and scream in pain.

"Where do you think you're going?" The voice of the shooter asked as they pressed their foot on the wound more.

"P-Please, I'll give you whatever you want, just don't kill me..." The man said weakly only to be turned around so he would be face to face with them.

Looking up at the person who held his life if their hands, even though this was the first time they were meeting he knew the face well, Arthur West.

"Too late for that." He said as he pointed the revolver held in his right hand towards the wound "You're bleeding internally, you'll be dead within a minute or so." He explained before pointing the gun at his face "But lucky for you I'm as kind as I am accurate, so I'm gonna give you a swift death." He told the other as he pulled the hammer back.

"P-Please..." The man begged tears trailing down his face "I-I'll do anything just-"

.

.

.

Silence took the air as the bullet left the gun and made it's home within the other's skull, the face of the man so pathetic and weak now replaced with a hole. Yet even as more blood stained the floor beneath him, Arthur felt no remorse for the man he just killed, for it was his and the others' actions that led them to this. And thus, with the last of the group now lying dead before him Arthur put his gun away in it's holster, before taking his leave.

* * *

 _"That's my favorite thing about this city, the sights can't be beat."_ Arthur thought to himself as he looked out to the horizon.

After having dealt with his bounties as well as having informed the local precinct, Arthur walked all the way from the docks back to his home in the residential part of the city. And to his credit he wasn't wrong about Cresttide City's sights, whether they be from nature itself such as the sun setting or the beautiful parks and beaches, to man made attractions like amusement parks, museums, and so on, it seemed like the city had something for everyone. Which in truth reminded him that he was going to have to get around to taking Sophia on a tour some time soon, no doubt given what she's been through she could use a brighter exploration through the city than what she had whilst in her captors' company.

 _"I need to talk to Agent Hughes about that..."_ He reminded himself as he walked _"Need to find out more about how she ended up in the city in the first place."_ He added.

Continuing to walk until he eventually reached his abode, the moment he turned the knob and opened the door he was immediately embraced by his daughter, who since he last saw her earlier today was wearing brand new clothes, consisting of a bright yellow shirt and red shorts.

"Daddy!" She cried joyfully as she wrapped her arms around him causing him to chuckle.

"Hey sweetheart, miss me?" He asked rhetorically as he closed the door behind him.

"Oh yeah, she's been absolutely dying to show you all the things she got for her room today." Agent Hughes responded as she leaned against the living room's doorway.

"Mhm! so come on!" She exclaimed as she grabbed onto his hand beginning to pull him towards the stairs.

Unable to keep himself from laughing at how excited she was he used his free hand to gently grab her shoulder and turn her towards him.

"Listen Sophia, I need to talk to Agent Hughes about something real quick, so why don't you go up and make sure everything you want to show me is ready?" He suggested causing her to let go of his hand.

"Okay daddy!" She replied as she hurried up the steps.

Watching her go until she reached her room and disappeared into it Arthur didn't need to look at Agent Hughes to know she too had a smile on her face.

"And what is so amusing hm?" He asked as he turned to look at her.

"Nothing, she's just really cute is all." She answered as he turned to put his hat on a coat rack which rested next to the door.

"Yeah she is." He replied as he turned back towards her "Thanks again for watching her for the day, can't thank ya enough." He said as he put his hands in his coat pockets.

"No need, I enjoyed it and was doing my job, two things that don't normally get said together." She admitted causing him to smirk.

"What? don't like your job?" He asked as he headed into the living room.

"Don't get me wrong I do love my job, but there are times where I find myself fighting the urge to just strangle the first person who comes into view." She answered as she followed.

"Oh? like when?" He asked as he sat down on the couch.

"Mostly when there's a heaping pile of paperwork on my desk, or when I have to deal with actual problems and not just domestic issues." She answered as she sat down in a chair "And before you ask, when I say domestic I mean things like a home or business's space issues in regards to extra species people." She explained.

"So by problems I guess you're implying like traffickers and such?" He asked.

"Pretty much, though thanks to you there are three less in the world I'll ever have to worry about." She answered with a smile.

"You seem a bit too happy about that." He noted.

"Well it's hard to feel bad for people who treat others like they're slaves." She admitted "But enough about that, what did you need to talk to me about?" She asked.

"I wanted to know if you've found out more about Sophia and how she got here." He told her.

"Ah, well no I haven't really found much in regards to how she came here, truth be told while any and all cruelty or mistreatment of extra species is illegal slimes are normally not sentient like Sophia, for the most part they're just these blobs that do nothing, in fact many extra species races use them as a resource." She explained.

"So what makes a slime like Sophia sentient?" He asked.

"We're not sure, actually that's something the government with the aid of extra species experts are trying to figure out, but as it stands due to the rarity of sentient slimes and how slimes are normally just used as resources anyways, not many people both extra species and human consider them to be people." She answered.

Remaining silent for a moment or so to think about what she had told him, even though there were still many questions he wanted to ask there was only one he believed she could answer.

"What kind of slime is she exactly?" He asked causing her to smirk.

"Figure you'd want to know that." She admitted before proceeding to answer "Most extra species don't have too much variety among them, meaning that beyond unique coloration of skin, fur, scales, feathers, and etcetera there's not if any variants to the species in question, slimes however are completely different, they are products of their environment most of the time taking on characteristics and features of whatever it is they're exposed to the most, so if a slime were to stay in a place like a volcano it would begin to change into a slime comprised of lava as well as form obsidian on it's body, this is the case with Sophia where besides being made up of mostly water she actually has something similar to bone inside of her." She explained.

"Wait, seriously?" He asked wide eyed causing her to nod.

"Yes, though unlike most creatures' bones her's are not only transparent but are capable of changing into whatever it is she so desires, similar to a shapeshifter, however if she does not want to change how she looks the bones will remain as they are and will not change in the slightest." She answered.

"Which explains how she was able to get hurt when that asshole grabbed onto her hood." He said earning another nod.

"Exactly, while we're still not certain how extensive her shape changing capabilities are we do know that even though she can feel pain this only happens when she chooses not to change her form, as it stands while I wouldn't go so far as to call her indestructible she is for the most part immune to nearly every means of lethal injury or death." She explained.

"Wow." He simply replied as he leaned back into the couch seeming to be at a loss for words "I mean...I knew given how unique she is there'd be a lot I'd have to learn...but just...wow." He repeated causing her to smile.

"Yeah she is special." She said before she looked to her wristwatch "Well it's getting pretty late, guess I should head home now." She admitted as she rose from her seat.

Doing the same as her Arthur rose from his seat and followed her as she headed to the door as he wanted to see her out.

"Thanks again for watching her Hughes, I really do appreciate it." He told her causing her to chuckle.

"Like I said Arthur it was no big deal, now that I've been designated as your case handler aka your coordinator it's my responsibility to check in with you and Sophia, so any time you need me to sit for her I'm more than willing." She assured as she opened the door "And call me Stephanie." She added before walking out whilst closing the door behind her.

Feeling a small smile come to his face Arthur knowing Sophia was still waiting to show him her room turned and headed up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 2: The Recreation Center Part 1

"So where is this place again?" Arthur asked Stephanie via cell as he looked around to get his bearings.

After their conversation the previous evening the very next morning Stephanie called Arthur, waking him up as she did, to tell him about a recreation center meant solely for extra species. Now unlike other recreation centers this one didn't have one objective or goal like fitness, creativity, or so on but instead focused on all of those things and then some. In truth the whole purpose of this facility was to make integration into human society a lot easier for extra species children and their families, since most schools and places wouldn't have the means to address their specific needs. However, once Arthur and Sophia finished having breakfast and left to check it out he seemed to have continuous trouble finding it, causing him to call her back a good few times.

"Seriously Arthur? this is like, the THIRD time that you've called me back." She told him clearly amused "Aren't you supposed to know this city like the back of your hand hm?" She questioned.

"Listen here, The only time I go out of my way to someplace in this city that isn't too well known is when I'm tracking down a bounty that's actually smart enough to lay low." He argued defending himself "And besides, you're the one who woke me up this morning telling me about this place yet neglected to give me precise directions." He pointed out.

"Excuse me? I gave you perfectly defined directions, not my fault you're incapable of getting there." She retorted.

"Oh really? because if I recall your directions and I believe I do they were as follows, go to the chicken place in the middle of the city, you know the one by the clothing store, then take a left past the subway entrance that has a missing letter from the sign, from there you should be able to find your way by going through a food market and taking another left past a bowling alley." He said actually managing to repeat word for word what she had told him.

"Aaaaand your point?" She asked not seeing what he was getting at.

"...Wait." He said as he suddenly stopped having realized something "...Aren't you at work right now?" He asked.

Sure enough, while they were busy having this extremely casual conversation the environment of her work place could be easily compared to that of a fireworks shop that had been lit on fire.

"Yeah, but we're having one of our more insane days so I'm taking a five minute break." She answered nonchalantly as she put her feet on her desk "But anyways, since you seem completely incapable of following the simplest directions-"

"Yeah simple." He commented cutting her off.

"Hush it." She told him "I'm just going to send directions to your phone from mine, think you can follow those?" She asked with a friendly sarcastic tone.

"Oh sure, but just out of curiosity, they are at least written in english right?" He asked to which the call immediately ended.

Letting a few chuckles slip since he had managed to successfully wise crack her, soon by text directions to the center arrived in his messages. During this whole conversation though, Sophia had simply been looking around wide eyed and seemingly awestruck by the big buildings that surrounded them, all the while she held onto his other hand.

"Alright Sophia." He spoke to gain her attention "Now that Stephanie has been so gracious to give us PROPER directions this time, we can finally get where we're goin." He told her as he memorized the directions before putting away his phone.

"Okay!" She simply replied clearly eager to finally get to their destination.

Smiling at how excited she seemed Arthur with the new directions in mind was able to lead them but a few blocks from where they were previously to the center's location. And once the building came into view both he and Sophia were admittedly stunned by how massive the facility actually was, as it was about the size of two massive football stadiums put together.

"Wow." Arthur said with a whistle as he tilted his hat up slightly "Can't believe I didn't notice somethin like this before, maybe Stephanie actually had a point, though make sure not to tell her that Sophia." He admitted as he looked towards his daughter.

"Uh huh..." She replied even though she wasn't really listening as her focus was solely on the building in front of them.

After a few more seconds of staring at the somewhat intimidating size of the building they both made their way to the doors before heading on inside. And the exact moment that they both made it through and the doors closed behind them, they were suddenly stopped as someone stepped in front of them.

"Hello! and welcome to the center!" They greeted.

Having to take a slight step back as the other was right in their face, once their initial shock and surprise from the sudden appearance subsided they were able to get a good look at them. Standing at around five foot four was a harpy with green hair and feathers as well as big bright brown eyes that seemed to radiate excitement and joy. Which in truth actually went well with her attire as she was wearing a long light blue dress with white frills at the bottom, which made it look like an ocean's wave.

"My name's Miranda!" She introduced with a smile as she put a wing to her chest "What's yours?" She asked.

Sadly, just as it seemed they would finally get to say something the sound of someone clearing their throat came from behind her causing them all to look and see who it was. Sitting there in what seemed to be an electric wheelchair was a mermaid with long purple hair and matching purple scales, which complimented the orange color of the fins both on her ears and tail. However unlike the dress Miranda wore her's, while similar in design, was comprised mainly of dark shades of blue that progressively got lighter further and further up the dress, almost as to come off like the depths of the ocean from the surface to the bottom.

"Miranda." She spoke in a tone which while calm held a strong sense of authority "What have I said about jumping out at people?" She asked.

"Wait till they're at least five feet inside..." The other replied with a sigh, her previous over abundance of energy vanishing completely.

"Precisely." She said before looking to Arthur "I apologize for Miranda, she always means well but can often forget people aren't as energetic as her, among other things..." She admitted muttering that last bit beneath her breath.

"Oh it's no issue." He assured with a slight wave "If I was so easily spooked or stunned by someone jumping out at me I wouldn't have made it far in life." He told her causing her to smile.

"Oh?" She sounded with a raised brow, clearly intrigued "Well, why don't you and I go talk to each other while Miranda shows your child around?" She suggested.

Knowing well the mermaid had far more intended than just a simple conversation, Arthur while not suspicious was of course curious as to what she had in mind.

"That seems good, Sophia here's been real excited to check this place out, even though we did just find out about it this mornin." He admitted before he looked down at her "Go on with Miranda Sophia, she'll show you the place." He told her.

"Okay daddy." She replied as she let go of his hand and walked over to Miranda, which in turn seemed to reignite the other's former peppy personality.

"You're gonna love it here Sophia!" Miranda exclaimed as she held out her wing "There's all sorts of fun things to do here!" She added as Sophia took a hold of the wing.

Watching them walk away for a moment or so Arthur then looked back to the mermaid who now had a smile on her face.

"You don't need to worry about secrecy mister West, I know all about you." She assured which caught him by surprise.

"Is that so?" He asked, managing with ease to keep his calm demeanor.

"Oh yes, you've helped a lot of people over the past few months, and anyone with any sense could easily tell that the people behind all those good deeds was but one person." She explained before she turned her wheelchair around "Come, let's continue this conversation as we head to my office." She instructed before moving away.

"Your office? why we headin there?" He asked as he followed.

"Well we must get the paperwork all sorted out before you two leave today, otherwise it will be a whole mess." She answered causing him to stop.

"Hold on." He said which in turn caused her to stop "What paperwork? I thought this was a recreation center?" He asked.

"Oh no, it's much more than that!" She replied as she turned herself back around "You see, when I first came to live in the city I noticed immediately how people like me had countless issues in regards to space, accessibility, and so on, that's why I set out to make a place where people of all kinds can come together and do whatever it is they need." She explained.

"Such as?" He inquired.

"We have all of the necessities, such as a learning area for not just young children but also prepubescents, teenagers, and those seeking to get a college education, then we have a fitness area designed for everyone whether they fly, are immensely strong, or so on, making sure every need that might rise up is accommodated, after that we have the relaxation section which is home to many different stores and food vendors that specialize in items specifically tailored to both the biology and diets of extra species as well as their comfort and satisfaction." She listed.

"Holy shit." He replied before holding one of his hands up "Pardon the language." He added causing her to giggle.

"There is no need to apologize, believe me all of our other members have said something similar in nature upon being the told the same thing." She assured "But anyways, the reason for paperwork is simply for everyone's peace of mind, for even with all of our precautions and efforts to make this a place where everyone and anyone can gather, accidents can still happen, so we like to have files on everyone regarding their medical history, blood types, and whatever else to ensure we can aid someone as effectively as possible if something should happen." She explained.

"That makes sense." He agreed "Though you should know from the get go that Sophia can't really sustain any serious injury." He told her.

"I figured as much, given she was a slime after all." She replied as she turned herself around "But I would like to get some paperwork on you as well, in case you should ever sustain any injury." She added as she began to lead the way again.

"I highly doubt I'm gonna get injured here...miss..." He trailed off as she hadn't yet introduced herself after all this time, causing her in response to gasp.

"Oh! I completely forgot to introduce myself!" She realized as she immediately turned to face him once again "My name is Selene, forgive me for my rudeness." She apologized as she did her best to bow to him.

"No need to say yer sorry." He assured her as she returned to an upright position "Figured it just slipped your mind." He added.

"That's still no excuse!" She argued as she turned herself around again "If there's one thing I cannot abide it's unwarranted rudeness!" She exclaimed as she continued towards her office.

"And what exactly might I ask is warranted rudeness?" He inquired as he followed.

"Oh there's plenty of situations where being rude is acceptable, such as if someone insults you with no just cause, or when someone accuses you of something and they have no proof to verify it, or when someone tries to guilt you into doing something they want to do." She listed before she stopped "Here we are." She said as they had reached their destination.

Looking ahead of her to see where she had taken them Arthur was both surprised yet not surprised at where her office was. On one hand, he was in fact surprised that her office was not a standard office, but actually an underwater space. And on the other he wasn't surprised as she was a mermaid, and even with her wheelchair being motorized allowing for easier mobility on land, she was no doubt more agile and efficient in her own environment. Though this did beg the question as to how she kept any kind of files in the first place.

"How do you get any work done down there?" He asked getting right to the point.

"Oh I have a wonderful computer that's completely waterproof, courtesy of the government of course." She answered.

"Ah, well then why did you say there was paperwork if there wasn't any?" He asked.

Taking a moment to consider his question Selene blinked a few times in thought before responding.

"Well...I don't know what else I would call it...cyber paperwork?" She suggested while pushing herself up from her seat, similar to how a gymnast would "Now, if you'll excuse me briefly." She said before pushing herself from her wheelchair and into the water.

Watching in amazement as with incredible ease she moved through the water, the reason Arthur was so astounded by her mobility was because she hadn't taken her dress off to reveal a swimsuit of some kind as it seemed her dress also functioned like a swimsuit, since it wasn't dragging or weighing her down. Continuing to watch her as she reached her computer and with as equal speed she swam with she typed away at her keyboard, she would only be down there for a few seconds longer before she swiftly swam back towards the surface.

"Okay!" She exclaimed as she poked her head out of the water "I've got your daughter all setup for the most part, don't worry about the rest as I can contact your coordinator about those details, but speaking of which I will need to know your coordinator as well as much information about you that you are willing to share." She explained.

"Alright, for starters our coordinator's name is Stephanie Hughes, as for me all you really need to know is that my blood type is AB negative." He told her.

"Oh my that's quite rare if I'm not mistaken!" She noted "But what about a phone number, in case we need to contact you?" She asked.

"Why would you need to contact me?" He asked in return.

"Given your...career choice, I assumed if you ever needed someone to look after Sophia you would bring her here and allow us to watch her while you're...working." She answered.

"Ah." He simply replied as he understood "Well don't worry about that, any time I am working Stephanie will watch her, said she'd be more than happy too." He explained.

"Oh I see." She said as a smile came to her face "Well then, I'll just go and finish your paperwork, while I do that why not go and find Sophia hm?" She suggested before diving back beneath the water.

Simply nodding his head in response to that Arthur turned around and walked away leaving Selene to do as she said she would.


	4. Chapter 2: The Recreation Center Part 2

"Man, this place has everything..." Arthur said with a whistle as he looked around.

Despite the building's size, Arthur believed he would be more than able to find Sophia and Miranda within a fairly short amount of time. However after he took his leave of Selene's company and began to walk around on his own, he found that the center was more so like a miniature town. As of the moment he found himself within the section that housed all of the shops and vendors specializing in extra species items and goods, which in truth only gave merit to his comparison. Yet as he continued to look around searching for the pair of a slime and harpy, he soon came to discover many people were staring at him whilst whispering, though they tried their best not to be noticed.

"Guess Selene's not the only one who knows about me." He noted as he looked around.

But before he could take another step further he suddenly felt someone tug at his coat, and as he looked down to see who was behind it he found a little girl in a blue dress with blonde hair and one big green eye instead of two looking up at him, giving away what type of monster she was.

"Excuse me, mister?" She spoke with a Grecian accent giving his coat another tug "But are you a superhero?" She asked.

Unable to keep himself from smiling at how cute she was Arthur proceeded to kneel down before responding.

"No, but why do you ask?" He replied with a question of his own, which in turn caused her to point behind her.

"Because Artemas said you were, when I asked him why everyone was staring at you." She answered.

Looking to where she was pointing he found a five foot ten Satyr wearing some kind of robe like garment. As for the rest of his appearance, he had light red fur covering his goat like legs, which matched the color of his fairly long hair, and as for his eyes they were a fairly dark shade of brown which admittedly went well with both the light color of his hair and the somewhat palish skin tone he had. Unfortunately though, the moment Arthur looked at him his eyes widened from surprise followed by him fumbling about trying to act like he wasn't looking.

"Is he always so easily spooked?" He asked her as he looked to her.

"Mhm, he's really nice but he's really shy too, doesn't like it when people stare at him." She answered.

"But I just looked at him for a few seconds." He pointed out.

"He's REALLY shy." She repeated making sure to put emphasis on the really "But I think he wants to meet you." She said causing him to raise a brow.

"Oh? what makes you say that?" He asked.

"Because after he told me you were a superhero and I said I wanted to meet you, he gave me this so you would sign it." She answered as she held up a small notebook with her other hand.

"That is pretty good proof." He admitted as he took the book from her "Well why don't you take me over to him so I can give it back to him?" He suggested.

"Aren't you gonna sign it?" She asked.

"Well sure, but don't you think he'd like it more if I gave it to him myself, ya know to make it more special?" He asked.

Taking a moment to think about it the little girl soon nodded her head in agreement before turning around and walking back towards Artemas with Arthur right behind.

"Excuse me." He spoke once they were close enough, which actually made the other jump a little "I believe these are yours?" He said as he held out the book as well as pointed to the little girl.

A few moments passed by and it seemed as though he wasn't going to turn around, but after a very nervous sigh was heard escaping him he turned to face them.

"Y-Yes, thank you." He spoke with the same accent, trying to be as composed as possible while taking the book back.

"Hey you didn't sign it!" The little girl exclaimed causing Artemas to quickly pull her to his side.

"TH-THAT'S OKAY CARISSA, I'M SURE HE'S A BUSY MAN AND DOESN'T NEED US BOTHERING HIM!" He quickly shouted before turning back around and walking away.

Or at least he tried, until Arthur placed his hand on his shoulder and kept him from doing so.

"Hey." He said as he turned the other back to face him "Take a deep breath, count to four, then let it out, and count to four again." He instructed.

Seeing as how there was no way to escape this now incredibly awkward situation, at least for him, Artemas did as he was told.

"Better?" Arthur asked noticing an immediate change from high strung to somewhat comfortable.

"Y-Yes, thank you." Artemas answered causing Arthur to take his hand back "I-I'm so sorry for making a scene like this..." He apologized.

"Believe me I've seen far worse things be done in public, all you had was a little...stage fright so to say." Arthur said which seemed to help him relax even more.

"I don't doubt it, given your line of work..." Artemas replied as he took a quick look around "D-Do you mind if we continue this while walking? I can feel everyone staring..." He asked as he moved his gaze to the ground.

"Sure thing, so long as you don't mind explaining this whole thing to me." Arthur answered before walking away.

"What do you mean?" Artemas asked as he and Carissa followed beside him.

"Why is everyone staring at me for starters." Arthur answered causing the other's eyes to widen.

"You mean you don't know?!" Artemas asked seeming to be completely caught off guard "You're like, a world famous hero!" He exclaimed.

"...You're serious?" Arthur asked causing him to rapidly nod his head.

"Of course! all the people you've helped have either talked about you to their friends and family, or they've written letters to home about you!" Artemas explained.

"Huh, and here I thought I was just another nameless face in the crowd." Arthur admitted as he put his hands into his pockets.

"I can't believe you didn't know how well known you are!" Artemas exclaimed dumbfounded by this revelation "Back home, we've heard all kinds of rumors and stories about you, from people who came back to visit for a while or who wrote!" He recounted.

"If this is the case though, how come I don't have like fan mail pouring in all the time?" Arthur asked.

"Because everyone doesn't want to bother you." Artemas answered "They all know how hard it must be to not only help out people like us, but to also be a bounty hunter." He added.

"Uh huh." He sounded as a thought came to him "Say, one of the people who said things about me wouldn't happen to be a Minotaur lady by the name of Glenda would it?" He asked.

"But of course! she was the first one to come back home and start telling all of us about you!" Artemas answered.

"Figured." Arthur said with a sigh before stopping "Look, Artemas." He began causing the other to stop as well "I appreciate the spotlight you, Glenda, and apparently a good deal of other people have put me in but I'm not a hero, just a guy who goes through every day doin the best he can to get by." He explained.

"And yet you always help people who need it, just like a hero would!" Artemas pointed out.

"Just cause I'm not some asshole who ignores someone getting harassed or even assaulted for bein different doesn't make me a hero, just makes me someone who's got both a good head on his shoulders and a fair amount of sense." Arthur argued as he looked down at Carissa "Pardon the language miss." He apologized tipping his hat as he did, which caused her to giggle.

Finding himself to be at a loss for words at what was just said Artemas felt the already immense respect and admiration he had towards Arthur increase tenfold, after seeing how humble he was.

"Well this was nice gettin to meet you and Carissa, but I gotta get back to finding my own daughter." He told them as he began to walk away.

Upon hearing that however Artemas suddenly rushed out in front of Arthur causing him to stop.

"Wait!" He exclaimed as he held his hands up in front of him "You have a daughter?!" He asked.

"Yeah, her name's Sophia and she's a slime." Arthur answered not seeming to be affected by the other's sudden action "Though as I said I need to get lookin for her." He added.

"Is she lost? because if so I can help you find her!" Artemas offered as Carissa walked back over to his side.

"No nothin like that, she's with one of the staff for the center, name was Miranda." Arthur replied.

"Oh, then in that case she's probably at the center's recreational area, which we were actually going back to until...well you know..." Artemas admitted seeming to get embarrassed about their encounter.

"Then would you care if I tagged along?" Arthur asked.

"Of course not, it would be an honor if you joined us!" Artemas said.

"Well alright then, lead the way." Arthur replied causing the other to smile.

Unable to keep himself from feeling excited and overjoyed at this turn of events Artemas turned around and began leading the way to their destination, with Arthur and Carissa following at his sides.

"So I take you both are from Greece? given your accents, names, and species?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, we come from a fairly large village in the mountains." Artemas answered.

"And what about Carissa's mom? she from there too?" Arthur asked.

"Actually no, while Carissa was born in the village and her mother did come to live there a small time after, she before that lived further into the mountains with other Cyclops." Artemas explained.

"I see, so when'd you two get together and have her then?" Arthur asked.

Upon hearing that question Artemas's face went beet red and his eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"I-I-I-I-" He began to repeat over and over again seeming to be in shock.

"Artemas isn't my daddy." Carissa answered for him "He just played music in the village square." She added.

"Then how come he's here with you and your mommy then?" Arthur asked.

"Because, when we could come and live here Artemas wanted to come and see what it was like, but too many people wanted to go at once and so he was going to have to wait a long time." She explained.

"So...your mommy brought him with you?" He asked receiving a nod.

"Yup, she always liked the songs he played." She answered.

"Okay, but then why is he stammering on like that, does he actually like your mommy?" He asked causing her to shake her head.

"No Artemas doesn't like girls he likes-" She began to say only to have Artemas put a hand over her mouth.

"H-HEY, WHAT'RE WE STANDING AROUND FOR, WE'VE GOTTA GO FIND YOUR DAUGHTER ARTHUR!" He exclaimed as he picked Carissa up, his face somehow even more bright red than before "SO LET'S GO!" He added as he hurried off.

Finding the other's sudden outburst and action to be surprising, Arthur simply shrugged it off before following after the Satyr and Cyclops duo.


	5. Chapter 2: The Recreation Center Part 3

So far the center had proven to be far beyond anything Arthur could've expected, from it's massive shopping area to the countless others he, Artemis, and Carissa saw on their way to the recreation area, it was safe to say he was truly amazed by everything that surrounded him. But the greatest piece of this whole facility was in fact the recreation area, for the moment they arrived his vision was filled with a seemingly endless sea of activities and experiences that were meant for all ages and not just the youth. From a massive swimming pool where the more aquatic monsters could be found to the equally massive rock wall where the more naturally strong could be located, it wasn't just the standard gym assets that made the space breathtaking. For beyond the simple exercise oriented attractions there were also just simple games for everyone to play and enjoy as well as a good deal of activities that didn't require too much physicality and more so challenged one's skills and mental capability.

Overall from the things to do to the countless people that there were to meet and possibly become friends with, it truly showed just how much Selene wanted everyone to not only feel comfortable but also welcome to socialize and come together as a community of both humans and monsters.

"Man." Arthur spoke with a whistle as he tipped his hat up slightly "This place just keeps on surprising me." He admitted.

"I know, it was quite overwhelming when we first came here." Artemas replied as he looked around "But over time you get used to the craziness." He assured as he pointed in a direction "There's Carissa's mom." He told him as he and Carissa began walking in that direction.

Looking to where they were headed, Arthur saw lying in a chair next to the pool reading a book was a six foot tall female cyclops, who had the same green eye and blonde hair as Carissa, and was even wearing a blue swimsuit that matched Carissa's dress in color.

"There you two are." She spoke once she heard them approaching, looking up from her book as she did "What took you so long? I thought you were just going to get a quick snack?" She asked.

"We did, but we ran into someone when we were coming back." Artemas answered as he pointed behind him.

Looking past him her eye managed to get even bigger than it already was, once she saw who had come back with them.

"I-Is that?..." She stammered as she wasn't entirely certain if this was really him.

"Hello there mam'." He greeted in response as he tipped his hat to her "Name's Arthur West, though you probably already knew that huh?" He inquired with a smile.

Needing to take a moment to process exactly what was happening, once her mind was through racing around a handful of thoughts and questions she quickly got to her feet and walked over to properly greet him.

"Hello there mister West, it's an honor to meet you!" She exclaimed with a look excitement present on her face "My name's Katarina, and I've heard so many things about you!"

"Well it's nice to meet you too Katarina." He replied as he held out his hand for her to shake "I hope you don't mind me tagging along with Artemas and Carissa."

"Oh no of course not!" She assured with a smile as she shook his hand "But what are you doing here at the center? are you working here?" She asked.

"He's looking for his daughter!" Carissa chimed in, causing her mother's eye to widen once again.

"Your daughter? I hadn't heard you were a father." She said amazed causing him to chuckle.

"Just became one yesterday." He admitted as their handshake ended "Her name's Sophia, she's a slime." He explained.

"A slime? aren't sentient slimes rare?" She asked.

"From what I hear yes, I was fortunate enough to have found her when I did." He replied.

"Fortunate? what do you mean?" She asked.

Taking a moment to look down at Carissa, Arthur thought carefully as to how he should answer that question without scaring her.

"Well, the thing is I found her running away from some bad people who wanted to...do bad things." He began.

"Oh my..." Katarina softly said as she put a hand over her mouth.

"Yeah, luckily I intervened just in time and ended up taking her home, and after she woke up and we were visited by the government, she refused to go with them and wanted to stay with me, going so far as to call me daddy even." He explained.

Taking a moment to let his story sink in Artemas, Katarina, and Carissa all had a look of amazement on their faces, admittedly making him feel a slight bit awkward.

"Uh, anyways." He spoke as he moved a hand to the back of his head "I'm gonna take a quick look around and see if I can't find her, been nice meeting all of you." He said as he turned to take his leave.

"Do you want us to help?" Katarina offered.

"No thanks, it shouldn't take me too long to spot a harpy and a slime, even with all the different species here." He replied before continuing on his way.

"Well, he seemed very nice." She said as after watching him leave she turned back to face her daughter and Artemas.

"He is, humble too." He agreed with a nod as he too watched the other leave.

"I think Artemas has a crush on him." Carissa said causing the other's face to become as red as beet near instantly.

"W-WHAT?! I-I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CARISSA!" He shouted defensively as he started walking towards the pool "I-I'M JUST GONNA TAKE A QUICK DIP!" He told them as he walked down it's built in stairs into the water.

Watching the flustered Satyr walk forward until he was completely submerged, Katarina then looked down at her daughter with a smirk on her face.

"You knew that would happen didn't you?" She asked.

"Mhm." Carissa simply sounded causing her mother to playfully mess up her hair.

* * *

Harpies are considered by both humans and inter species alike to be focus challenged, not to say they're necessarily dumb but many times with the way their brains work they can often be forgetful or even get confused quite easily. This is why when one looks at the few places that offer inter species citizens work they're likely to find no sign of harpies anywhere, most people think they can't be trusted with the simplest of tasks, let alone the complex ones. But everyone that comes to Cresttide City's recreational center more than once will be surprised to learn that their harpy employee Miranda is actually the senior employee of the entire operation. And while some people might assume that the reason she got the job is because Selene felt bad for her, the truth is it was the exact opposite, in which Selene actually believed that she was the right person for the job.

For while Selene was excellent at being a boss as she was impeccable at giving proper direction to others as well as keeping something as grand as the center organized, she was admittedly a bit awkward when it came to entertaining people. Miranda on the other hand was great at keeping people entertained as well as happy, she just somehow knew the exact thing to say or do to put a big bright smile on someone's face and keep it there. This is why when she and Sophia went off to explore the center, the first place they visited was the indoor garden, and while it was meant specifically for flora and insect monsters, it was still open to anyone who wanted to take in the beautiful aromas and sights of the plants. As for why of all the places in the center she chose this one in particular to take the little slime to, it's because there were a vast variety of nectar, fruits, vegetables, and so forth that a slime like her would definitely enjoy.

Though this was just a guess really, seeing as how Sophia was the first sentient slime to visit the center Miranda based this off of her limited knowledge of slimes in general. But in the end she was right, for the moment Sophia was able to sample some of the flavors of the assorted delights, she immediately wanted more. Which brings us to the now, where as of this moment both the harpy and the slime are lying on their backs on some grass trying out the different fruits they had acquired and giving their opinions as they did.

"Mmmmmm~ that one was SOOOOOOO SWEET!" Miranda exclaimed as she finished eating her slice of pineapple "How's yours Sophia?" She asked.

"Good, but really sour." She replied as she cutely nibbled on a tangerine.

"Yeah, tangerines can be pretty sour sometimes, but I still think lemons are the most sour." Miranda said as she looked up towards the skylights in the ceiling "So, do you have a favorite food?" She asked.

"I...don't know." Sophia admitted as she too looked towards the skylights "I don't think I've had enough food to have a favorite yet."

"Really?" Miranda inquired, seeming to be amazed.

"Mhm, I've only had a few meals since I met daddy, so I haven't tasted a lot." Sophia explained.

"I guess that makes sense." Miranda agreed "Still though, didn't you eat anything before you met your daddy?" She asked.

Upon hearing that question however Sophia instead of answering looked off to the side, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Miranda exclaimed as she noticed her somewhat saddened expression "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!"

"It's not that, I just...don't like thinking about what happened before I met daddy..." Sophia told her.

Unable to keep herself from feeling guiltier and guiltier as the seconds passed by, Miranda thought of what she might be able to say or do to improve her mood.

"You know, when I first came to the city I was really scared." She admitted causing Sophia to look at her.

"Really?" She asked earning a nod in response.

"Uh huh, everything was so new and big and loud, I didn't know what I was supposed to do or where I was supposed to go." Miranda replied.

"Didn't you have someone to help you?" Sophia asked.

"Well sure my coordinator, but when I first came here it was right after the bill was signed, so a lot of people weren't used to seeing people like me walk around." Miranda explained.

"That does sound scary..." Sophia said as she began to think about her first memories of coming to the city.

"It was, but it was also exciting too because it was like I was going on this really big adventure!" Miranda exclaimed as she threw her wings into the air.

"Weren't you lonely?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah I was." Miranda answered as she brought her wings back down and laid them on her chest "My mom was back home and besides my coordinator I didn't know anyone, so I had to try and make some friends." She explained.

"Did you?" Sophia asked.

"Uh...no..." She admitted with an awkward smile "But I didn't let that get me down, I took to the sky and flew around looking for someone who was also trying to make friends, unfortunately I wasn't looking where I was going and I ended up flying into a lamppost..." She explained as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Did it hurt?" Sophia asked.

"A little, but what really stung was when I fell down to the ground and landed on top of Selene." She answered causing the other to look at her with widened eyes.

"You fell on miss Selene?!" Sophia asked in disbelief.

"Sure did!" Miranda exclaimed proudly for some reason, as a big grin appeared on her face "I also managed to break her wheelchair too, so I had to carry her back inside." She explained.

"Was she angry?" Sophia asked.

"Actually...no she wasn't." Miranda answered as she looked down at her wings "Normally whenever I crashed into something or even someone, they'd always yell at me or call me names, but Selene didn't do any of that, instead when I brought her back inside she seemed more concerned about me and my bruises than her wheelchair." She explained before she looked up at the skylight "After she helped me treat them though, we started talking about ourselves and why we came here, and somehow I ended up getting a job." She admitted.

"How come?" Sophia asked.

"Dunno, even though it's been a while since I was hired she still won't tell me why she did it." She answered "Sometimes though, I think I'm more trouble than I'm worth, cause I'll bump into something or someone and I do break stuff sometimes too." She admitted.

"Don't say that, you're a nice person!" Sophia told her causing her to smile.

"Yeah, but I feel like I could be doing more you know? like to thank her for all she's done for me." She replied.

"If she wanted you to do more though, wouldn't she just ask you?" Sophia asked.

Taking a moment to consider that question, Miranda found herself trying to find some kind of flaw to that logic, only to come up empty.

"Huh, I guess so." She said as she looked back down at herself "Still, I want to try and be less clumsy so I'm not always making a mess or causing trouble."

"Maybe you could ask her to help you." Sophia suggested.

"I might, but I'll have to think it over." She replied.

Having silence fall between them as it seemed like their conversation was at it's end, the sound of approaching footsteps would soon gain their attention. Looking around them to see who was walking towards them, it didn't take either long to spot Arthur coming their way, causing a smile to appear on Sophia's face.

"Daddy!" She exclaimed as she got to her feet and ran over to him.

"Hey there sweetheart." He greeted as he scooped her up into his arms the moment she reached him "How're you liking the center so far?" He asked.

"It's really nice, but all I've seen is the garden." She answered, causing him to look at Miranda with a raised brow.

"You mean to tell me in the near twenty minutes we've been apart all you've shown her is this?" He asked.

"Ehehehe...well...I thought she'd like the fruits that grow here is all." She admitted as she sat up.

"It was fun though! we looked at flowers and ate a lot of things, not just fruits!" Sophia admitted.

"Oh really? so I guess you're too full then to go check out all the different kinds of food they have here?" He asked.

"Nope!" She answered simply with a smile causing him to chuckle.

"Can I come too?!" Miranda asked excitedly as she got to her feet "It's almost lunch time and I know the best shop to get the best food at!"

"Shouldn't you be working or something?" He asked though not in a rude sense, more so that he found the amount of free time she seemed to have was a bit odd.

"I am working! you and Sophia are new members to the center and it is my job as senior employee to make sure you know the place!" She responded before marching off "Now follow me to food!" She ordered as she pumped a wing into the air.

"Has she been like this the whole time?" He asked as he began to followed her.

"Mhm." Sophia simply answered as they watched Miranda continuing to pump her wing into the air as though they were actually marching.


End file.
